by Rachel O’Dell
As I was debating, in my mind, the pros and cons of accepting the invitation to write this parent encouragement for New City Kids, it dawned on me that I ought to blog about the actual stress of weighing the pros and cons of any opportunity (or decision) that we make in life. So this post is very “meta” because, why not?
Every opportunity taken in life is going to involve some added layer of work (if only for a short time) unless we off-load something else before taking up the new task. And of course, new opportunities taken can then lead to other new ventures, (i.e. more work). Someone doesn’t offer us an opportunity to get rich (or advance in our career) while we just sit in a La-Z-Boy watching money enter our bank account. If they do, it’s a scam.
Work is not inherently bad. We know that God gave work in the Garden, before the Fall. Work done for the Lord is very fulfilling. It’s only when it feels like a Sisyphean task that it seems to drain joy out of us.
Personally, my main work these days includes home schooling my daughters, driving my children to activities, navigating the challenges of raising an autistic son, serving on the worship team, and completing my time in service as President of the Greater Gwinnett Reentry Alliance. All of this work is very fulfilling! But even so, I long, as I’m sure we all do, for Sabbath rest. I want a nap!
Hebrews 4 speaks of entering God’s rest. We look forward to a day, in the new Earth, when we will be able to glorify God with our work while also benefiting from the Sabbath rest. But for now, we must alternate between the work and the rest. Here are some ideas on how we can do this well:
1. Make sure our work is being done for God’s glory and not just for the next opportunity.
2. Understand that raising our children to know and love Jesus is our highest work priority.
3. Do not worry over missed opportunities and what we might have done with our life.
4. Do not work without rest. And when we rest…
5. Acknowledge that God is our Provider. All the work in the world cannot give us (or our families) a “perfect life”. The perfect life is found only in the life Christ lived on our behalf.
Rest in his finished work on the cross.